CofC Orchestra Discusses how it got to Carnegie Hall on Podcast

^{Above: College of Charleston Orchestra in performance at the Sottile Theatre (Photo by Alyona Photography)}

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, the College of Charleston Orchestra will have the experience of a lifetime performing on one of the most prestigious stages in the world – Carnegie Hall.

On this episode of Speaking of … College of Charleston, we speak to Yuriy Bekker, conductor of the College’s orchestra, and two of his students, Rj Grant and Isaac Hill, about the performance at Carnegie Hall.

Bekker talks about emigrating from Minsk, Belarus, when he was 10 years old and his journey from studying music to teaching and performing. Grant and Hill share stories about their passion for playing music and their plans for the future.

The performance, together with performances by the Charleston Symphony and Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra, will give a taste of the cultural jewels of Charleston. Under the direction of Bekker, these artistic powerhouses will pay tribute to Charleston’s exceptional musical legacy and connections to New York City. The College’s ensemble will play Antonín Dvořák’s New World Symphony Finale, which premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1893; CofC music professor Yiorgos Vassilandonakis’ Corsaro, which will have its world premiere; and former CofC music professor Trevor Weston’s Subwaves. Charleston Symphony will perform A Charleston Concerto, by Edward Hart ’88, professor of music theory and composition.

The College of Charleston Orchestra will perform a preview concert in the Sottile Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. See ticket information below.

Featured on This Episode:

Yuriy Bekker, critically acclaimed violinist and conductor, has been a mainstay of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina, for 17 years. In addition to serving as the CSO’s artistic director, Bekker is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Charleston Department of Music and conductor of the College of Charleston Orchestra. He has been music director of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival’s Spotlight Chamber Music Series and is co-founder of the Charleston Chamber Music Intensive. During the summer, he also serves on faculty of the Shkolnikova Academy in Sevremont, France.

In 2011, Bekker was given the Outstanding Artistic Achievement award from the City of Charleston to honor his cultural contributions to the community. He has performed worldwide as a celebrated guest concertmaster, avid chamber musician and critically acclaimed soloist. He earned a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory under the tutelage of Herbert Greenberg. He also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Indiana University School of Music, where he studied violin with Nelli Shkolnikova and Ilya Kaler. Bekker has studied conducting with Christopher Wilkins, David Zinman, Imre Pallo and David Effron. His debut album, Twentieth Century Duos, received worldwide acclaim and a nomination for the International Classical Music Awards.

Bekker performs on the 1638 Franz Degen Andrea Guarneri violin, generously on loan to him from an anonymous patron.

Ronreguss “Rj” Grant grew up in Goose Creek, South Carolina, graduating from Goose Creek High School. He pursued studies at the Berkeley Center for the Arts, concentrating on winds and percussion before he came to the College of Charleston. Now a senior, he is studying arts management with a concentration in the music industry. In addition to his academic pursuits, Grant is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., serves as an executive fellow with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and plays flute with the College of Charleston Orchestra and the tenor saxophone with the Chucktown Sound.

Isaac Hill is a cellist, composer and tenor in his junior year at the College of Charleston, studying with music faculty members Natalia Khoma, Edward Hart and David Templeton. Recent performances include the Piccolo Spoleto Young Artist Series and CofC Orchestra’s spring concert with Augustin Hadelich. Upcoming engagements include Il Re and Orfeo ed Eurydice with CofC Opera, as well as the CofC Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall tour.

Resources From This Episode:

More information, including ticket and donation links that support this student journey, can be found at go.charleston.edu/carnegie-hall.

The College of Charleston Orchestra will perform a preview concert in the Sottile Theatre (44 George St.) at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. To get more information and tickets, visit the College’s Campus Calendar. Tickets are also available through the George Street Box Office in person at 44 George St., via email at gsbo@cofc.edu or by phone at 843.953.4726.